Short-turn wagon-gear.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.-

' T. SANDSTROM.

SHORT TURN WAGON GEAR.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 10. 1903.

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PATBNTEYD MAY 19, 1903'.

IT. SANDSTROM. SHORT TURN WAGON GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 H0 MODEL.

wmvsssss UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE SANDSTROM, OF OONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO CARL E. SANDSTROM, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

- SHORT-TURN-IWAGON-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,809, dated May 19, 1903.

I Application filed March 10, 1903. Serial No. 147,173. \No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE SANDSTROM, residing at Connersville, in the county of Fayette and State of Indiana, have invented a newand Improved Short-Turn Wagon-Gear, of which the following is" a specification.

My invention relates to improvementsin that form of wagon-gearing in which the front and rear axles have fifth-wheels and intermediate connections joining the said wheels, whereby a greater angle of movement of the axle within a shorter radius is obtainable than can be securedin the ordinary form of axlegearing, which has its pivot or kingbolt connections in the vertical plane of the axles.

, My invention comprehends a wagon-gearing of the character stated of a very simple and economical construction, in which is included a peculiar and cooperative arrangement of a fifth-wheel for each of the axles, link members joining one of said wheels with a supplemental fifth-wheel or gear segmentally held in mesh with the other fifth-wheel, whereby a uniform, motion of like degree in oppositedirections is imparted to the front and rear axles in such manner that-the said mechanism may be readily attached to all kinds of delivery-wagons and light buggies and high wheels used with the vehicle-body set low, whereby to permit of a short turn, and in which the gear connections are also especially designed to allow the use of a wide body and for causing the rear wheel to always travel as far out as the front wheel and in which the body during short turning will not turn over.

In its more complete nature my invention embodies a special combination of a front and rear axle fifth-wheel and intermediate devices joining said fifth-wheels, in which is included stiff stayrods, which connect one of the said fifth-wheels with a supplemental fifth-wheel geared direct with the other fifth-wheel, a reach and stop devices on the reach for limiting the turn movement of the axles and the fifth-wheels, whereby to prevent the carrier-wheels engaging the sides of the wagon'or buggy box, and thereby dispense 'with the useof the usual rubbingplates.

Again, my invention consists of certain def tails ofconstruction and peculiar combination of parts, all of which will hereinafter be fully explained, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure l is a plan view of my improved wagon-gear, the axles being in'their normal or parallel position. Fig, 2 is a similar view, the axles being shown in position to make a short turn. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the front axle with its fifth-wheel connections. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the rear axle with its wheel connection. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified construction of my invention, hereinafter explained.

In carrying out my invention I mount the vehicle-body A on the reach-bar Bin any well-known manner, preferably by the usual strap springs that join with the crossed springs b b, mounted on the opposite ends of the reach-bar, as shown.

C designates the front axle, to which the shafts S S are connected by the usual thillclips 1 T, as shown.

To the top of the axle O, midway the carrier- WheelsO O, is secured a fifth-wheel D, which is connected to the axle by clips at d, and the saidjwheel has an axial cross'- bar (1, with which the king-bolt E, mounted in the front end of the reach-bar B, engages, said kingbolt being disposed to the rear of the axle, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

F designates the rear axle, to which is conneoted the rear fifth-wheel G, which also includes an axial cross-bar g, through which passes the king-bolt H, that projects down from and is supported on the rear end of the reach-bar B at a point in advance of the rear axle, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, by reference to which it will also be noticed that the crossbar g extends beyond the peripheral edge of the body of the wheel G to produce extensions g g, the reason for which will presently appear, and it will also be observed from the said Figs. Sand 4zthat while the axial point of the front fifth-wheel is close up to the front axle the axis of the rear fifth-wheel is some distance in advance of the rear axle, and to axle and the fifth-wheelare braced by trussrods 1 1, clipped at their outer ends to the axle and having their inner ends bolted to the extensions g g of the cross member g of the wheel G, and-the said rods 1 1 in themselves are braced by short stay members 2 2, arranged as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The front fifth-Wheel D has its peripheral edge formed with a cog-rim d which meshes with as'upplemental fifth-wheel J, disposed in the horizontal plane of the wheel D and which is of the same diameter as the wheels D and G, and the said member J also has an axial cross-bar j, f ulcrumed on a king-bolt K, mountedin the reach-bar B, and the said cross-bar j has extensions j that oppose the extensions g g of the rear cross-bar g of the member G, and the said extensions g andj are connected by the parallelly-disposed stiff rods R R, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The supporting-springs b on the ends of the reach-bar B are braced to the said bar by stay-rods 12 11*, as shown.

Sofar as described it will be readily apparent that the turn movement of the front axle-willat once be transmitted in reverse angles to the rear axle through the medium of the supplemental fifth-wheel J and the straightway or parallel stiff rods R R, that join the said supplemental wheel J with the rearfifth-wheel, and by reason of such pecul iarconnection of parts a gear construction is provided which has approximately double the turning capacity over the ordinary form of wagon-gear, and by reason of the parallel stifi-rod connection the rattling or loose play common in the cross-rod gear connections now'in use is overcome. Again, by reason of the wide separation of the off-side carrierwheels when turned ample room is provided as the wheels travel from the center in turning to getin and out of the wagon or buggy without rubbing against the wheels.

To'prevent the wheels rubbing or engaging the sides of the vehicle-bodyA when making the turn, stop-locks 5 5 are firmly secured to the reach-bar, which locks have V-shaped bearing-faces 5 5*, with which the cross-bearings g andj of the members 9 andj engage, the said faces 5 5 having such an angle relatively to the longitudinal axis of the wagonbody as to limit the turn of the axle in either direction to predetermined distances, thereby doing away with the necessity of placing rubbing-plates on the'sides of the vehiclebody.

One of the advantages of my construction of wagon-gear is that in turning a corner fast the wagonbody will not turn over, as the weight of the person or persons in the rig is transferred to a point between the reach and the outside wheels, which causes the said wheels to brace the rig.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a slightly-modified form of my invention in which the same general arrangement of parts shown in Figs. l and 2 is embodied, the difierentiating features being the cross arrangement of the rods that connect the wheels J and G and an intermediate idler cog gear 10, that meshes with the gear-rims of the fifth-wheels J and D, whereby to elfect the same relative arrangement from the front to the rear axle as is transmitted from the said front axle to the rear axle in the preferred construction.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is believed the complete construction, the operation, and the advantages ofmy invention will readily appear.

It' will be seen that the several parts are of such relative arrangement and so combined as to permit of economical manufacture and a practical assembling thereof without the aid of more than ordinary skill of a blacksmith or wheelright. The said arrangement of parts admits of using a high or low hung body, a wide or narrow body, anda short turn, and under all adjustments when turning a corner the rear Wheel will travel as far out as the front wheel and willalways clear any object that is cleared by-the frontwheel.

Having thus described my-invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

1. In a vehicle running-gear of the character described; the combination of a reach-bar, a front and a rear axle, a fifth-wheel oneach axle having a king-bolt connection on the reach-bar, a supplemental fifth-wheel mount-- ed on the reach-bar held in the plane of the axle fifth-wheel and in direct gear connection with one of the said axle fifth-wheels, the other axle fifth-wheel and the supplemental fifth-wheel each including a transverse member having end extensions, and rigid rod members connected to the said extensions, substantially as shown and described.

2. As an improvement in vehicle runninggears; the combination with a reach-bar having means at the opposite ends for supporting the vehicle-body, a front and a rear axle, a fifth-wheel fixedly secured to each axle, a king-bolt connection for each fifth-wheel for joining the same with the opposite ends of the reach-bar, intermediate connections joining the front and rear fifth-wheels, said connections includingasupplemental fifth-wheel mounted on the reach-bar and geared with one of the fifth-wheels on the reach-bar, and rigid rod connections joining the said supplemental fifth-wheel with the other reach-barsupported fifth-wheel, as specified.

3. In a vehicle running-gear as specified; the combination with the reach-bar, the front and the rear axle, a fifth-wheel fixedly mounted on each axle and a king-bolt foreach fifthwheel mounted in the reach-bar, said fifthwheel having transversely-disposed extensions, the front fifth-wheel having a cog-rim, an idler-gear journaled on the reach-bar held in mesh with said fifth-Wheel cog-rim, a supplemental fifth-wheel mounted on the reachbar in the horizontal plane of the idler-gear and having a cog-rim to mesh with the said idler-gear, and a rigid rod connection joining the said supplemental fifth-wheel and the fifth-Wheel on the rear axle, for the 'pu rposes described.

4. A vehicle running-gear, comprising in combination with the front and the rear axles and the reach-bar; a fifth-Wheel mounted on each axle, a king-bolt connection for each of said fifth-wheels mounted on the reach-bar,

a supplemental fifth-wheel also mounted on the reach-bar in the horizontal plane of the other fifth-Wheels, said supplemental fifth- Wheel and the rear-axle fifth-wheel each in- 20 stops on the reach-bar with which the trans- 25 verse barsjof the supplemental rear-axle fifthwheels engage, for the purposes described.

THEODORE SANDSTROM.

Witnesses:

FRANK M. EDWARDS, FRANK E. NEVIN. 

